The present invention relates generally to industrial vibrators. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a self oiling industrial vibrator which is ideally adapted to be mounted and employed in a vertical orientation.
In the prior art industrial vibrators are well known. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, conventional industrial vibrators may include a rigid, generally cylindrical housing in which a suitable shaft is rotatably disposed. A variety of different but conventional bearings may be employed to operationally secure the shaft, and one or more eccentrics are mechanically secured to the shaft to generate the vibration which is transmitted to the intended application. While various systems for internally lubricating vibrator bearings are known, all prior art vibrators known to me suffer from rapid internal wear when they are disposed in a vertical orientation rather than a horizontal orientation. Resultant premature bearing failure, for example, has hitherto been a virtually inevitable but deleterious side effect intimately associated with vertical vibrator mounting.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, many industrial applications requiring vibrator installation are most efficient when the vibrator is mounted. Vertical mounting often insures that the hopper, storage bin, or other application upon which the vibrator is mounted will be dependably, forcibly agitated. Premature bearing failure along with attendant premature wear of internal seals and the shaft has hitherto been experienced as a direct result of non-uniform oiling or lubrication where "horizontal" vibrators are employed in "vertical" applications.
The most pertinent prior art known to me comprises U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,043 issued Nov. 25, 1975 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,396 issued June 2, 1981. Both of the latter references are owned by the same assignee as in this case. Other pertinent prior art believed possibly relevant to this invention is shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,386,296; 3,036,658; 2,930,244; 3,792,617; 2,972,688 and, 3,446,084.
Because of the aforedescribed problems experienced in conjunction with the vertical mounting and operation of conventional vibrators, and since vertical mounting is nevertheless an industrial necessity, the present internal self oiling system to be hereinafter described has been designed.